


Through the Eyes of Reptile

by kruk



Category: Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: English is not my native language, Gen, Never Have I Ever, i wouldn't be myself if i missed a chance to write about shang tsung and bi-han, one day i will finish it and there will be more erron black i swear, reptile-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 21:51:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15156356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kruk/pseuds/kruk
Summary: Events of new timeline seen by Reptile.





	Through the Eyes of Reptile

**Author's Note:**

> Text published on my tumblr page, cienie-isengardu.tumblr.com. English is not my native language, sorry in advance for mistakes.

The first time when Reptile heard about Erron Black, he was still loyal servant of Shao Kahn, and on Emperor’s order, a trusted assistant of Shang Tsung as well. Syzoth’s job have never been easy. Partially because no one liked to be spy on, and partially - if not usually - thanks to monstrous shape o his face, the tailed body covered with a nauseated green husk and a smell that apparently was so horrible that no one wanted to be around him for longer that it was necessary. As far as Syzoth could remember, the smelly, ugly creature was how people called him since hatching from an egg. He had get used to it, more or less. Not really to the insults itself, but to be insulted at every turn.

People were always mean, it was in their nature to ridicule and torment those that didn’t fit into their concept of world. The reptilian warrior believed in that wholeheartedly, because it was easier to hate them than think that maybe they were right; that he really was just an ugly monster of long forgotten race. People liked to destroy the weak ones, but Syzoth wasn’t _weak_. He was the last of Zaterran race, the sole survivor while everyone else were merciless slaughtered or hunted down and sold as slaves who have worked to death, or were bred as a not so good but exotic food for the richest. Syzoth survived ages in Shao Kahn’s closest circle - if Emperor’s court didn’t kill him, then insults alone would not kill him either. He was survivor above everything else… but mockery hurted all the same.

And so, more often than not, he lived in the shadows, invisible yet watchful, always ready to protect his masters… or to strike them down, at the first sign of disloyalty to Emperor. Shao Kahn didn’t know mercy and so none of his inferiors did know it either. There was no use for friendship nor for affection in the court of the Emperor. Everyone was enemy, one way or another. Everyone wanted the power and prestige just for themselves. So hungry of Shao Kahn’s approval, of chance to prove their worth, of respect and awe. Syzoth wanted it no less than others. Being useful to Emperor was the only thing that kept him alive for all those long, miserable centuries. Syzoth was so useful, so trustworthy that he was given to Shang Tsung, as a skillful spy… and no less as _pet_.

The sorcerer from Earthrealm was a powerful being; cunning, confident, ruthless and ambitious man to be wary of. He was also old. Not like Edenian elders though - Shang Tsung’s body was wrinkled by age, sharp eyes almost as white as his long hair. The human looked fragile, especially when compared to Emperor’s other champions. So breakable in contrast to the four-armed Shokan prince Goro and noble born Sheeva or Kintaro who towered over him like a mountains; to the centaur Motaro, whose whole body was of the muscles as steel. Even to Edenian princess Kitana and her bodyguard, Jade - both beautiful and no less fast and deadly. Yet it was the Shang Tsung that Syzoth instinctively knew to be careful around. The man smelled of magic, dark and dangerous, and sharp like hidden blade only waiting to taste blood. Syzoth knew who the man really was, of course, but it was no less shocking to see the old fragile human to change in the blink of an eye into a youthful man with an acute smile, into black and yellow cobra whose beautiful scales glittered dangerously in the sun, into pretty woman that could break someone neck with her delicate hands, into jaguar, so royal and mystic, into innocent child with big, bright eyes. Even into an ugly reptilian like him.

No gender, no race, no body shape was obstacle to the dark magic wielded by Shang Tsung. Knowledge of that made Syzoth both amazed and terrified. The old sorcerer could take any form, speak the human and monster languages alike, be whoever he wished to be, hidden in shadows and in plain sight, safely tucked under fragile and beautiful and coarse and monstrous look… and could even steal your soul - all memories and will and fears - if you weren’t careful around him. Shang Tsung indeed was a powerful sorcerer and shapeshifter Reptile had never met before.

Surprisingly for a human, the man was quite polite too. Even to Syzoth, what in itself was an alien concept not only to reptilian warrior but to everyone else as well. Syzoth didn’t understand humanoids too well but could tell easily when they disapproved of his natural smell. Shang Tsung was one of few people that did not call him smelly; even if reflexive disgust always showed on the man’s face, for a few seconds, until neutral expression didn’t camouflage grimace for good. The man did not speak about Reptile’s smell, did not shun away from him in disgust, like others always did. The nauseated green husk did not scare Shang Tsung either. Quite opposite, the sorcerer seemed to be interested in its color and shape and Reptile in itself. An unique creature of forgotten race to study and learn about, that Syzoth was among other things for the old fragile looking man.

Every once in awhile, Syzoth overheard Emperor’s champions and even simple household probing the sorcerer for reason why he bothered to be kind to smelly monster like him at all. The old man always smiled then - politely, of course, yet with some predatory sharpness hidden well under courtesy - and kept saying how look may be misleading.

In a way, it made a lot sense. Being underestimated had it own perks. Like Syzoth, Shang Tsung was really good at adapting and surviving no matter what.

Over the ages, Syzoth came to like working with Shang Tsung. They didn’t become friends - friendship was a foolish concept for the weak and desperate and none of them were either - yet they fell into comfortable symbiosis. The sorcerer provided the protection while Syzoth was his eyes and ears in the shadows. Reptile accompanied his new master almost everywhere. To flesh pits, a dark and smelly of blood and death place that brought solace for the sorcerer and yummy food for him, to courts of powerful kings and queens of all races united under Emperor’s regime, to all Earthrealm’s nooks and crannies, from secluded beautiful places to overpopulated, gloomy cities.

There, Syzoth met many of Shang Tsung’s favorite mercenaries. Most came from Lin Kuei assassin clan - and between them, man called Sub-Zero was the most favored one. Rightfully so, Syzoth admitted to himself bitterly, because the ice warrior was unlike the other assassins. Ruthless yet cunning, a natural born killer with unquestionable strive for perfection. The assassin had narrow, emotionless eyes and unnaturally pale, frosty skin and in humble opinion of Reptile, absolutely lacked social skills. In Lin Kuei gear or not, there was something about the man that always made Syzoth want to become invisible, to hide and hope to not draw to himself unnecessary attention. Sub-Zero smelled of cold heart, danger and indifferent death. And yet, sometimes, the self confident smirk was warmed by hint of amusement and curiosity, when Shang Tsung time and again called the assassin to do his bidding. The service of Lin Kuei of course always came with price - Syzoth knew very well how possesive Shang Tsung was about his precious, ancient scrolls and manuscripts full of mystery knowledge and secrets of martial art. How hard it was for him to part with them and yet every one of them was a small price to paid for service of Sub-Zero.

More often than not meeting between the cold-hearted killer and the ancient sorcerer felt to Syzoth less as bargaining about right price for needed murder or stealing important informations and more like… well, he didn’t have idea what. Shang Tsung and Sub-Zero seemed to love poking and pushing each other with little, unimportant yet somehow essential details. To seek the weakness in other, to exploit, to outsmart. Yet their meetings didn’t feel like rivalry - not like the one between Shang Tsung and the other sorcerer, Quan Chi, with whom rarely old man agreed on anything at all. Nor felt like there is any need of plotting and counterplotting in case of backstabbing. Their meeting felt… interesting; weird but somehow nice. Shang Tsung’s smell for sure told Syzoth he enjoyed them beyond pragmatic reasons.

But Sub-Zero had his own missions and orders to fulfill and sometimes he simply wasn’t interested in Shang Tsung’s additional requests. There were rules that Syzoth did not know nor understand, but ice assassin’s reasons were his own and the sorcerer didn’t push the matters, so Syzoth didn’t try that either. There were many other killers and mercenaries; Shang Tsung had a long list of those. The reptilian warrior met or at least heard of them all. It was his job to keep tabs on sorcerer’s doing, after all.

Erron Black was one of many assassins working for Shang Tsung over the years. The human himself didn’t make any big impression on Syzoth; just a man sticking to old days who loved money and shooting people more than anything else. Yet Reptile never questioned his master’s decisions, even if Shang Tsung seemed to like Earthrealm’s mercenaries more than those from Outworld (Syzoth never spoke of that, but he always wondered if Shang Tsung, as human, felt so alone - and different - between the rest of Shao Kahn’s servants; if working with people from his native realm made him feel a bit less lonely. If regular meetings with Sub-Zero were more for his own amusement than a real need of assassin service. It was too personal thing to ask, so Syzoth never have asked). At that time Erron Black was just a name for Syzoth so he didn’t care about man’s reputation - or life - at all.

There was tenth, the last Tournament to worry about. Earthrealm was about to cease to exist soon. Shang Tsung and Erron Black and the Lin Kuei were meant to be all but a relics of the past. Just like Syzoth was all his life. None of the men seemed to be bothered by that though.


End file.
